Stop forcing yourself through that famous literary novel just because everyone says it's a classic

Ngl, I noticed a pattern in this group where people keep picking up those heavy literary novels that win all the awards and trying to muscle through them even when they hate it. I did it myself with a 700 page book about a family in rural Alabama - made it 150 pages in before I realized I had no clue what was happening and didn't care. The problem is these books use dense sentences, switch between 5 different timelines, and have like 20 characters with similar names. I see folks posting here every week saying they feel dumb for quitting these books, but honestly the book just isn't for them. Life is too short to read something that feels like homework. The specific thing I keep seeing is people pushing past page 100 of a book they hate because they think it'll get better. Has anyone else bailed on a big famous novel after like 80 pages and felt relieved about it?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth_butler7513d ago

700 pages in rural Alabama?! That sounds like actual torture.

beth_mitchell13d ago

And honestly @beth_butler75, I'd probably pack snacks and a backup battery because my attention span taps out around page 50. I tried reading a long book once in the car and ended up just staring out the window thinking about what I'd eat for lunch. Rural Alabama at least has some good sweet tea to get you through it, so that's a plus. But 700 pages sounds like they're testing your patience more than your reading skills.